Now that school is back in session and football season is getting started we are getting more invites to get togethers and I always like to bring a dish so I thought I’d share some easy appetizer recipes this week that are fabulous for entertaining or for taking with you to gatherings. You can’t go wrong with these fast and easy recipes when you want to impress or have a crowd to feed.

When I was growing up I was never a big fan of figs but later in life I bought a house that had a couple beautiful fig trees in the yard and I finally realized just how delicious they can be. I learned that fresh figs are lusciously sweet and there is nothing like their unique texture and taste. Figs are very easy to prepare and they’re also a great source of potassium and dietary fiber, plus they average only about 37 calories each so they’re healthy as well as tasty.

1) Homemade Fig Bars

My favorite way to eat figs as a kid was in a Newton cookie so of course I had to share Weelicious’ recipe for these decadently rich Homemade Fig Bars.

I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

Many of my favorite foods are Italian dishes and I’m super excited to share these Italian classics with you. All of these mouthwatering Italian recipes are easy to make and cover everything from appetizers to dessert. Perfect for date night or for the whole family, everyone is sure to love these easy Italian recipes!

2) Sweet Pepper Roll Ups

3) Pollo del Borgo

This simple chicken recipe, Pollo del Borgo from Venice Italy Veneto, is an Italian family favorite that you finish up in the oven, leaving you free to work on some of these other dishes or visit with your loved ones.

4) Chicken Piccata

5) Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo, as made here by Average Betty, is an Italian meal staple that is so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. Wonderful as a side dish, you can also top it off with grilled chicken, shrimp or sausage and serve it as the main course.

7) Hazelnut Rainwater Madeira Tiramisu

I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

One of my kids’ favorite things to shop for during back to school season is a new lunch box. Well making their lunches fun too is a great way to keep them from trading it for somebody else’s goodies. These fabulous lunch box ideas are fun, delicious and healthy at the same time, plus they’re easy to put together and your kiddos are sure to love them!

I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

During the hot summer months some days I just don’t feel like cooking a big meal or even turning the oven on because it’s so hot. These delicious summer salads are super easy to make and help us keep our cool.

1) Amagansett Corn Salad

This Amagansett Corn Salad from Food 52 epitomizes the freshness of summer with the combination of corn, cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas. Those are three of my favorite summer crops and I love how they’ve combined them in this salad.

6) Strawberry, Quinoa and Spinach Caprese Salad

Strawberries seem to be on my grocery list every week during the summer and this Strawberry Quinoa and Spinach Caprese Salad from Closet Cooking is a great way to add some variety to our strawberry dishes.

I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

We haven’t had any relief from the heat here in northwest Florida for weeks so we’ve been looking for all kinds of ways to try and stay cool. These fabulous cold and refreshing summer drinks will do the trick – mix up a batch of your favorite chocolate or fruity summer drink and get cool!

1) Cantaloupe Sangria

This delicious white wine Cantaloupe Sangria from Fast Drink Recipes is super simple to make with frozen grapes, pureed cantaloupe and lemon slices with your favorite chilled Pinot Grigio. I think I’m going to have to make a pitcher for myself this weekend!

2) Watermelon Frosty

Grab some fresh, juicy watermelon and you could make this scrumptious Watermelon Frosty from Lunch Box Bunch! If you’d like a more adult type version you could turn yours into a Watermelon Margarita.

3) Orange Julius

This Orange Julius knockoff recipe is inspired by one of my all time favorite drinks, I have fond memories of hanging out at the mall with my friends and drinking these delicious orange smoothies. Apparently Orange Julius stores still exist, just sadly none in my area anymore, who knew?

4) Layered Fruit Gazpacho

5) Raspberry Cordial

Mix up a big pitcher of these Raspberry Cordials from BBC Good Food for your next summer gathering and you’re sure to have a hit on your hands. Just three simple ingredients and this refreshing drink will even keep for a few months in a sealed container in the fridge.

6) Frozen Hot Chocolate

All you need are a few simple ingredients and a blender to make this delicious Frozen Hot Chocolate from Girl Cooks World and it’s sure to help cool you down on a hot summer day! My kids really love this one and they tell me it’s better than ice cream.

7) Caramel, Peach & Berry Knickerbocker

I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday and refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. This year Fat Tuesday falls on March 4th and the parades have already kicked off in our area so I thought it would be nice to do a roundup of Mardi Gras inspired dishes.

The slow cooker is one of my favorite kitchen appliances since it makes dinner time a breeze for our busy family. It is so versatile and there are so many dishes you can make in it, everything from appetizers to dessert, and it’s fabulous to be able to throw in the ingredients in the morning and come home after work to a nice hot home cooked meal. These are just a few scrumptious recipes that you can whip up in your slow cooker!

1) Black Bean Enchiladas

2) Honey Sesame Chicken

My family absolutely loves Asian food and this Honey Sesame Chicken dish from Six Sisters Stuff is delicious. The honey gives it just the right amount of sweetness, not overly so, and you can even sprinkle more red pepper flakes on if you like it a little spicier.

3) Spinach Lasagna

This classic family favorite Spinach Lasagna from Unilever has all the flavor without slaving over a hot stove and it tastes even better the next day.

4) Spicy Barbecue Chicken

The kids all love drumsticks and its such an inexpensive meal and this Spicy Barbecue Chicken recipe from Skinny Ms has the right amount of spicy sweetness. Of course you could use thighs or a whole chicken if you’d prefer.

5) Sausage and Lentil Stew

This is the perfect time of year for homemade soups and stew and this hearty Sausage and Lentil Stew from Stephanie O’Dea has lots of meat and veggies in to make a nutritiously sound meal that the whole family will love.

I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

Love is in the air and I’m really looking forward to Valentine’s Day next weekend so I went hunting for some “sweet” recipes to make for the big day. Some of these ideas would make great gifts and I think the heart shaped pizza is a terrific idea for the family for dinner.

Few things say home cooking like the casserole. Casseroles are a staple of American cooking. They are what we pass at potlucks. They are the comfort food we bring to friends who are going through a rough time. They are the welcome we offer to new neighbors. In addition, they can also be a lifesaver when you need a hearty meal. Prepare a few of these on the weekend, minus the baking step, and you have home cooked meals you can pop in the oven on a rushed weeknight…and what weeknight ISN’T rushed? The sky is the limit when it comes to what you can do with casseroles. Here are a few to get you started.

Pour over chicken breasts. Just before baking, place uncooked crescent rolls over top. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until crescent rolls begin to brown.

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I highly recommend Plan to Eat for a great place to store all your favorite recipes! Check it out with a free trial and see how easy it is to add recipes from the Internet, plan meals for your family and even print out a handy grocery list.

Hello there, I’m Denise!

I'm a professional blogger, social media consultant, and working mom of eleven year old quadruplets and a twelve year old son. I enjoy sharing shopping, fashion, beauty and travel tips as well as recipes and reviews from a frugal shop-a-holic with expensive tastes! Click here to contact me or learn more about me.

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